The invention relates to a device and method for removing manufactured capacitors from a holder strip upon which the finished capacitors are packaged. Normally, the capacitors are secured to the holder strip by an adhesive strip which covers the capacitor wire leads with the capacitor body portion extending above the holder strip. In order for the capacitors to be utilized in the fabrication of electronic circuitry, the capacitors must be removed from the holder strip and the adhesive must be washed from the capacitor wire leads. This removal process is normally done by hand and the adhesive cleaned from the capacitor wire leads by a chemical bath. The presently used chemical bath presents both a hazard to the attendant separating and cleaning the capacitors as well as environmental hazards. This manual process for separating capacitors from the packaged holder strip is both a timely and costly operation.